Thousands of item numbers, storage areas that are not optimally used, and an unnavigable paper jungle. Dealing with a large number of small parts demands resource-saving and efficient processes. Hubtex sets a good example, showing what the digital, multi-order picking of the future looks like.
SAP WM implementation
Warehouse lift integration with status C connect:IT and connection of KBS light strips with status C light:IT
Global template solution for mobile logistics processes on iPad Minis with status C scan:IT
Mechanical Engineering
June 2020 – January 2021
Up to 1,500 picks per day (375% efficiency increase)
Shorter distances, lower error rate
Seamless dovetailing of warehouse and production logistics
As a leading international manufacturer of multi-directional sideloaders and custom-built floor trucks, Hubtex is all about two things: minimizing errors and maximizing efficiency in material flow. When the production area was expanded in 2016 and a new electrical workshop was integrated in 2021, it quickly became clear that routes were too long, aisles too narrow, and processes too error-prone.
Showing foresight, however, the special Fulda machine manufacturer had already decided to introduce SAP WM and use five warehouse lifts during the planning phase of the electrical workshop. This is when status c came into the game.
First, the company had to restructure. The old, small-parts warehouse had to make way for the new warehouse concept and was demolished without delay. From then on, two storage lifts faced each other on a spacious picking area, while a fifth lift formed the link between the warehouse and electrical workshop, allowing operation from both sides.
With the hardware in place, it was time for the software. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Hubtex and status c were confronted with an unprecedented challenge: the design and implementation of new intralogistics processes — and without a prior warehouse inspection by status c. Thanks to video conferencing and the will of both parties to achieve the best possible result however, work began despite the adverse conditions, and the warehouse lifts were quickly integrated thanks to the plug & play solution status c connect:IT.
Still, how do you map dozens of picking carts in SAP WM without equipping them individually with hundreds of KBS lights?
Inventive talent was called for! Without hesitation, Hubtex independently welded a metal frame under which the picking carts could be parked and to which lights could be attached. The smart Pick-By-Light solution status c light:IT did the rest.
The colors of the lights on the rack correspond to the color coding on the lift, making assignment clear, and allowing the picking carts to be filled from all sides at the same time. Voila! Pragmatic hardware savings meet smart solutions.
"Collaboration with status c was professional, competent at all levels, result-oriented, and a real stroke of luck for us. From my point of view, it was collaboration amongst colleagues."
"It helps immensely if both parties have the same understanding of the desired project result, and the process steps required to achieve it. This was the case with Hubtex. Right from the start, eye-to-eye collaboration really made it enjoyable."
When individual operations are simplified, it automatically increases employee satisfaction, right? Well, not exactly! After all, sustainable success can only be achieved when all employees are considered and supported along the way.
The cooperation between Hubtex and status c was not just characterized by professionalism, technical exchange, and unwavering focus on the end result. Instead of forcing standard solutions to fit, individual needs were identified, decoded, and translated into user-oriented solutions.
Expressed in figures: the project resulted in greatly optimized work and material flows, which enabled a pick performance of up to 1.500 picks per day and lift group. This corresponds to an efficiency increase of 375% — a result that every project participant can be proud of.
We believe in the adage, "never change a winning team", and our collaboration didn’t end with some impressive numbers. It continues even today with a mobile browser solution for scanning and receipting, designed and programmed by status c.
status C scan:IT needs no additional hardware, and works as always directly in SAP. What began as a test run with two iPad Minis is now being expanded into a global template solution for use across numerous warehouses and locations.
Here's to a collaboration that will last for a long time to come.